Amid Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and geopolitical confrontation with the West, the Kremlin is taking efforts to strengthen its influence in Kazakhstan, Moldova, other countries of Central Asia, and in the South Caucasus. For this purpose, Russia has launched information campaigns using various news agencies and Internet platforms to disseminate Moscow’s narrative in
Kyrgyzstan has advised its citizens to refrain from traveling to Russia in the face of rising scrutiny of Central Asians in the country following the deadly Crocus City Hall attack near Moscow in late March, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. The Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry issued the travel advisory on May 2, warning Kyrgyz citizens of intensified checks and controls at
A Kyrgyz man who was handed a suspended seven-year prison term for joining Russia’s armed forces and fighting in Ukraine is expected to obtain Russian citizenship, Russian Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said over the weekend, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Askar Kubanychbek-uulu told Russian journalists that he had fled Kyrgyzstan via neighboring Kazakhstan and is
Tajikistan has advised its citizens to refrain from traveling to Russia amid increased pressures faced by Central Asians there following the deadly Crocus City Hall attack near Moscow last month, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reported. The Tajik Foreign Ministry issued the “temporary” advisory on April 27, a day after Tajik officials expressed concerns about Tajiks being “unjustifiably” denied entry to
On April 17, the Minister of Energy of Kazakhstan Almasadam Satkaliev and the Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Nikolay Shulginov signed an agreement on the construction of coal-fired thermal power plants in the cities of Kokshetau, Semey, and Ust-Kamenogorsk in Kazakhstan. According to Minister Satkaliev, the construction of three new thermal power plants
Russia continues to recruit foreign citizens for military service to participate in the war against Ukraine. For joining the Russian army, foreigners are offered a monthly salary of $2,200, a one-time payment of $2,000, a Russian passport, free medical care and training, Deutsche Welle reported with reference to information from the UK Ministry of Defense.
Tajikistan’s foreign minister on April 12 condemned the treatment of the mostly Tajik suspects in last month’s terrorist attack on a Moscow-area concert hall that killed more than 140 people, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin, speaking in Minsk at a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), also criticized what he said was
Another lawmaker in Russia has made remarks concerning Kazakhstan, which might create tension between the two countries, Orda.kz reports. In a comment to the Russian National News Service, Mikhail Delyagin, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, said that long delays in processing money transfers from Russia to Kazakhstan are “sabotage by
The Tajik Foreign Ministry on April 6 rejected a statement by the director of Russia’s Security Council that Ukraine has recruited mercenaries in Tajikistan, RFE/RL’s Tajik Service reported. Nikolai Patrushev earlier last week accused officials of the Ukrainian Embassy in Dushanbe of recruiting mercenaries to participate in military operations, including against Russia. He made the
Kyrgyzstan’s Elkart Interbank Processing Center said that the Central Asian country’s banks will stop processing transactions with Russian Mir payment cards as of April 5 due to Western sanctions imposed on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine, RFE/RL reported. Last week, another former Soviet republic, Armenia, announced a similar move. In September 2022, the U.S.
Russia is deporting hundreds of foreigners for immigration violations in the wake of the deadliest terrorist attack in nearly two decades. Meanwhile, many Tajik migrant workers are leaving the country on their own accord, fearing an increase in xenophobia, RFE/RL reported. Russian law enforcement has carried out sweeping checks of immigrants in the country after
Uzbekistan has urged its citizens who work in Russia to comply with the stepped-up security measures that Moscow introduced following last week’s deadly attack at a concert hall near Moscow, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. Central Asian migrant workers in Russia have found themselves under enormous pressure and faced a backlash after Russian officials announced they had detained
Kyrgyzstan has called on its citizens not to travel to Russia, where Central Asian migrant workers and visitors are facing enormous pressure following last week’s deadly attack near Moscow that left 139 people dead, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Russian officials said earlier that 11 suspects, including four men who allegedly attacked the Crocus City Hall entertainment center,
The death toll of the March 22 attack on a Moscow concert venue claimed by the Islamic State (IS) militant group has reached 133 and Russian security officials said four suspected gunmen had been detained in connection with Russia’s worst terrorist violence in nearly two decades, RFE/RL’s Russian Service reported. Russian officials said the suspects
Kazakhstan on March 9 confirmed that two of its citizens were shot dead in Russia in what the Kremlin said was an antiterrorism operation that prevented an attack against a synagogue in the Moscow area, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. “The media published reports about the killing of two Kazakh citizens by Russian law-enforcement agencies during an attempt
Earlier this month, Tajik migrant workers in the Russian city of Samara were scared after Sunatullo Nazriev, the leader of the local Tajik diaspora, called on Tajiks who have Russian citizenship and those who want to get Russian passports in an expedited way to join Russia’s armed forces fighting in Ukraine. According to the migrant
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has said his country has frozen its membership in the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as Yerevan continues to distance itself from Moscow amid a souring of bilateral relations, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported. Pashinian said in an interview with France 24 television channel on February 22 that the move comes after
The recent summoning of the Uzbek ambassador to Russia over remarks made by the rector of the University of Journalism in Tashkent highlights the escalating tensions surrounding language politics in the region. Sherzod Qudratxoja’s statement labeling Uzbek citizens who speak Russian but not Uzbek as “occupiers or idiots” has sparked a diplomatic outcry from Russia,
Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on February 14 that it summoned the Uzbek ambassador to Russia, Botirjon Asadov, over a recent statement by Sherzod Qudratxoja, the rector of the University of Journalism in Tashkent, who called Uzbek citizens who speak Russian but do not know Uzbek “either occupiers or idiots,” RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. The Russian
A meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council was held in Almaty on February 2, attended by heads of government of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) member countries — Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. Kazakhstan Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov reminded that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the EEU Treaty. Today
